After doubling in size over the last

three years, VINCI Energies will

continue to develop and increase
its presence inside and outside
Europe, in particular via external
growth operations*.
For this reason, it is essential for us
to standardise our management
principles across all of our compa-
nies and to have a tool that is
adapted to how we operate and
that can be deployed quickly in
companies which join the group,
regardless of the country.
To achieve this objective, the deci-
sion was taken in June 2013 to
launch the Codex project, i.e. to
build a common ERP* for all of VIN-
CI Energies, based on our SAP*
base that has already been de-
ployed in most "major" countries
where we have a presence, along-
side the Quartz Navision* solution
for countries where the companies
do not justify deploying SAP.
This new ERP (for which a name
still needs to be found) will replace
the different tools that exist within
the group.
The success of the Codex project is
therefore a major factor for the fu-
ture of VINCI Energies.
The "preliminary design*" phase,
which was rolled out in the 4th
quarter of 2013, enabled us to set
up a fantastic project team in record
time, under the direction of Eric
VERNIER, assisted by Frdric
BINET, with a massive commitment
from representatives of our 4 divi-
sions and VESI teams*.
It enabled us to clearly define the
basic rules to structure this new
ERP and has so far not revealed
any technical barriers to the desires
expressed by users.
Of course, the most difficult is yet to
come with the "detailed design"
phase, which is starting at the be-
ginning of January and which
should associate business experts*
and future users more broadly, with
a timetable which remains ambi-
tious and by staying vigilant to
avoid deviating during the produc-
tion phase from the main funda-
mentals which should set the base
for this new ERP, i.e. simplicity
and flexibility.
But given the fantastic work which
has been done during the first
months of the Codex project, we
can be confident in our ability to
reach a successful conclusion and
launch this new stage with determi-
nation.



kickoff meeting on 7th January brought together around one hundred
people who participate directly in the Codex project. The project will
design this new tool, which in time will be used regularly by over 25 000 of
you; so, we have decided that a regular newsletter would enable communi-
cation to more than just the people involved directly in the project, to keep
you up to date with how it is progressing.
It is also the perfect means to share with you this fantastic adventure, which
is based on the commitment of the men and women who work at VINCI Energies, who must be congratulated
for their professionalism once more in working towards a common objective. Of course, the usual communica-
tion channels via your own management will enable you to have more detailed information.
The ambition of this project, which is broken down into four main phases (design, construction, tests and de-
ployment) is to find the perfect match between surveying user and management requirements taking into ac-
count business specifics and considering the diversity of countries, languages and software. Finally, the defini-
tion of a simple, flexible and effective common base and a quick implementation.
Consequently, we have two responsibilities: to make the decisions that we feel are the most relevant in relation
to the objectives we have set and to keep you informed of how the project is progressing.
One newsletter every two months, with six publications in 2014, appears to be the best for the project's signifi-
cant phases; so, we will see you in 2 months for new information on how the construction phase is progressing
in the three languages that have been defined for this communication.
Until then, I hope you enjoy reading this first edition and I would like to wish you all the best for 2014
from the whole Codex team!


he official Codex project kickoff meeting
was held on 7th January 2014. Over 110
participants met at Roissy-en-France to cele-
brate the launch of 2014's activities. This
meeting outlined the project's methodology to
the participants who attended and provided a
focus on each of the main areas of activity
profoundly affected by the establishment of
the Codex project: analytical management,
closing, finance and accounting operations,
sales, purchasing, human resources and re-
organisations*. A great deal of time was given
over to direct discussion between attendees.

The approach is based on a timetable with:
A first part covering:
The important summary pre-project (or "preliminary design") phase between October and mid-December 2013
The design, development and tests in 2014
The start-up within the existing SAP/Quartz-iC scope at the start of 2015, with several countries concerned:
France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria and Brazil; it will be accompanied by a major
user training and accompaniment wave.

A second deployment phase which will begin around mid-2015 on the other Group perimeters.





How were the design preparation phase work-
shops held?
This project has numerous challenges as it will
affect many users: we have to find a compromise
between simplicity and functionality, between
global and local. To initiate a project like this one,
the working groups first of all dealt with the func-
tionalities from a very high level, before going into
the more precise details.
For sales, for example, we dealt with the organisa-
tional structure in SAP, with different concepts
such as agencies or sales organisation and so on.
We also looked at the different billing modes.
During the Architecture workshops, which were
more technical, several decisions were taken on
the dimensioning of the system to anticipate
external VINCI Energies growth, for example. We
also saw how several new technologies could im-
prove ergonomy* and facilitate the use of the tool.
And how do you see the future for VESI?
This first phase was more business-oriented; for
the VESI technicians such as myself, the main part
of the work will really begin during the next phase,
when we'll need to go into specifics and find a
compromise between the different systems.
We will be able to go into more detail during the
workshops at the start of the year and study the
specifics of the different countries within the scope,
where a wide range of systems are being used.



What was the business role in the
Closing workshops in October
and November?
Business's input into the workshops
is essential and is different from that
of VESI. As for the "Closing" field,
our role involves defining the oper-
ation of our organisations as they
were recently affected by the Fast-
Close*; there is a diversity between
VINCI Energies subsidiaries, which
are mostly small and independent,
and the companies from Cegelec,
Faceo and VINCI Construction for
example, and in all countries. We
also need to reorganise the opera-
tion of Quartz, the consolidated ac-
counts*, the tax system, payroll...
There is only one working lan-
guage within the project... is that
a help or a hindrance?
We need to remain focused on
what's essential and so working in
English is a plus. English may make
conversation more difficult in certain
cases, but avoids us creating jargon
and complicating things unneces-
sarily. English also enables us to get
outside a France-based context and
to integrate all countries. We need
to think Quartz but also think locally
by integrating local, fiscal, statutory
and other constraints.
What was put in place to prepare
these workshops?
Ten to fifteen days before the work-
shop we take a look at all the points
and summarise them to get a first
opinion; we then share them with
our business contacts. We quickly
see that for 80% of subjects we
agree on simplification and autono-
my which must be guaranteed. After
these discussions, there are actually
only a few areas
where we differ. It is therefore more
effective to deal with most issues in
advance and then finalise the few
remaining points in workshops with
20/25 people. During these work-
shops, we discuss the points where
we agree and disagree; any remain-
ing points are left up to the Project
Committee.
We have no particular preference
for one particular tool: we need to
agree on how we operate and the
level of autonomy and we strive to
be consistent on these points.
How does coordination between
the business and VESI work?
We work directly and meet if we
need to. Our collaboration is good,
especially as I have already had the
opportunity to work with most of my
contacts on previous projects. What
is more complicated is managing
our usual daily tasks alongside Co-
dex work.
Several workshops are planned
on the "Closing" area during the
"Design" phase in January and
February: what subjects will you
be dealing with?
We need to determine in detail how
we would like the monthly and quar-
terly Closing part to operate, speci-
fying the expected returns while
improving the current solutions. Cer-
tain subjects are relatively simple
from our point of view, such as the
desire to have instant closing: the
specifications are also quite simple.
Other more complex subjects re-
quire more details. The challenge
will now be to make this compatible
with our start of year timetables.


What was involved in the preliminary design workshops?
Valrie Basile: Each workshop, which was always prepared in
advance to cover all subjects, was organised in a highly-
managed way, supported by existing tools and processes. This
enabled us to have a guiding principle and concentrate on what
was most essential. However, there was nothing to prevent us
adding points as our discussions often found specifics that had
to be dealt with.
Emmanuelle Flix: As we deal with many subjects at quite a
fast pace, it is important to list all our decisions in writing to
make sure that we are able to find them later. The workshop
preparation and minutes could have been heavy and time-
consuming operations for the people in charge of the different
areas, but they are essential for the rest of the project.
How do you see the role of the Division coordinator?
Valrie Basile: This is a very transverse role as you have to link
up everything that's going on in several areas and provide the
connection between the workshops: you need to keep a close
eye on things.
The difficulty lies in the fact that we are targeting people with
different functions, who come from different countries, different
cultures and different systems.
How is the collaboration with VESI?
Valrie Basile: Coordination between the business and VESI
has gone well during this first phase; depending on the work-
shops, either the business responsible or the VESI responsible
was in charge of running the workshop.
Emmanuelle Flix: The presence of a VESI counterpart for
each Codex area is a huge help to us. In all cases, I was able to
see that the workshops were held in a constructive and calm
atmosphere.


Do you have anything to say for the rest of the project?
Valrie Basile: The first phase enabled us to define the project
and determine its main guidelines. We need to be careful with
the number of people involved in the next phases.
Increasing the number of participants will certainly enable us to
deal with the significant workload given the tight deadlines we
have, but we need to be careful to not go back over ground we
have already covered: a huge amount of communication is nec-
essary to make sure that everyone is on the same wavelength.
Having said that, if we take any decisions that turn out to be the
wrong ones, we mustn't be afraid to change them.



How did the idea of organising the Codex Village come
about?
We were looking for a way to get our colleagues and field
contacts involved in the project Preliminary Design phase.
Given that we were already busy with the workshops and we
were in a brainstorming phase on the project, we wondered how
we could get these actors involved in this discussion phase.
Rather than having structured discussion groups as we were
already doing in the workshop, with a script and questions, we
thought it would be interesting to use a shorter, more open for-
mat to get our contacts to react and get as much information as
possible.
How many people took part in
the Village?
Around sixty people from almost
all of the division's poles were
there, with a third non-financial
operational staff (project manag-
ers, company managers, direc-
tors) and administrative and ac-
counting managers, but also a
major delegation from purchas-
ing. Each person took part in an
average of 3 to 4 workshops,
mixing profiles where possible.
Jean-Michel BEGUE took part in
the introduction to the day; Thier-
ry MIRVILLE, Herv ADAM and Franck WEMAERE also came
along to take in the atmosphere of this... special day.
What were the different types of workshop?
Five workshops with about ten people in each were organised,
reproducing the project areas: Closing / Analytics, Sales, Pur-
chasing, Finance and Human Resources (time sheet recording /
payroll). Only the Reorganisation subject was not dealt with, as
it was too complex to integrate into this brainstorming approach.
Each workshop lasted one hour (two hours for Finance) with
extra time reserved to encourage free discussion.
How did you prepare for these workshops?
First of all, we had to determine the size of the workshops and
recruit the participants from different poles, with different profiles
and preferably a double Oracle / Quartz-i / HR ACCESS* and
SAP /Quartz-iC culture. We wanted to be sure that the groups
would be mixed to reflect the complexity of the project. The par-
ticipants were positioned so as to ensure high-quality discus-
sion. Advance work enabled each person to list before the work-
shop what they felt needed to be kept / simplified / modified /
added / deleted in the future ERP.
Each facilitator was free to bring in their own ideas and organise
the workshop as they wished to maintain interactivity. For exam-
ple, for Purchasing, Serge MASRIERA used post-its to make
the discussions dynamic, quick and visual. The important thing
for the VE France Codex team
was to feed back information
and secure the directions to be
taken for Codex, in a flexible
way. The day was therefore de-
signed to highlight the major
trends in the areas. Each facili-
tator was able to get immediate
feedback in the field on the work-
ing areas which we were already
exploring.
How did you process the infor-
mation gathered during the
event?
Each field manager provided
their own summary and the infor-
mation collected on the main strategic and striking points had
been dealt with during the "traditional" Codex workshops (such
as the IFRS* and the primary standard*). The good ideas which
were collected but were not vital for the project launch in 2015
will be used across the whole detailed design phase.
It was a constructive day with no hostility to either system: this
is a reassuring sign, with 80% of the participants stating that
they are ready to play an active part in the rest of the Codex
project.



How do you see your role as coordinators and how did you
separate the tasks?
Patrice Mantz: We have two main functions:
We are the spokespeople for all the units to tell them about
specific features and points to be taken into account when
building the new ERP.
Within our scope, we circulate the discussions and orienta-
tions from the working groups which are in progress within
the project.

Stphane Toutain: Thomas and I were mostly involved in
meetings and working groups and Patrice was more concerned
with coordination with the countries.
Patrice Mantz: The fact that there are three of us makes inter-
nal communication easier as each of us has many contacts in
the entities.
In concrete terms, what do you do to make sure that all the
country specifics are taken into account?
Thomas Penazzo: We have organised several meetings: for
example, in Belgium we talked about Codex to gather infor-
mation from management controllers. When we meet VINCI
Energies International financial directors who are not taking part
in the project directly, we ask them for information too.
For human resources, we have sent each contact by country a
questionnaire with around twenty questions: this lets us set the
main directions to be taken, but does not enable us to deal with
all the points discussed in the Codex workshops.
All the local specifics must be taken into account and this is
where the difficulty lies.
Patrice Mantz: Getting VESI participants to travel to the coun-
tries also lets us communicate on the project state. During a
meeting in Frankfurt for example, three people outlined the re-
cent SAP Quartz-iC* developments: this provided the opportuni-
ty to talk about the Codex project and the VINCI Energies par-
ticipants were able to explain what they felt was important.


Do you feel any concerns around this project?
Patrice Mantz: Indeed, there is a level of concern in certain
countries which leads to a desire to participate as much as pos-
sible in project discussions: there is strong demand for infor-
mation and participation in the countries.
Stphane Toutain: The very objective of this common project is
to operate in a bottom-up rather than top-down way. We have
approximately one person per pole per country in Codex, but
despite this organisation the contacts seem to be somewhat
swamped and may have the impression that the project is mov-
ing forward quickly, and controlled centrally by the French. For
the moment, the general feeling is that we need to be sure we
don't go too fast!
Patrice Mantz: Change management is important for the rest of
the project as this will determine its success.
To finish, what do you feel about the project being in Eng-
lish?
Thomas Penazzo: The Quartz project at Cegelec had suffered
a great deal from the fact that all communication and documen-
tation was in French. Our communication was greatly restricted:
it is undeniable that the fact that the project is in English is huge
progress.
Patrice Mantz: Organising the workshops in English helped a
lot of people to interact: for example, during the "closing" work-
shop, all of our German colleagues were able to take part,
which was essential.



What is your background within the Group?
I joined the Group in June 1999 as Company manager before becoming Director at VINCI Energies France Est. My
scope is a mixed one with industry and telecommunications and covers around 75% of activity with ACTEMIUM and
25% of activity with AXIANS. On 1
st
January 2012, I joined CEGELEC Lorraine Alsace: my scope therefore contains
companies from VINCI Energies and activity centres from CEGELEC.
What are the objectives for information systems in a structure such as yours?
The ERP is of major importance for all the companies in the group as it is our main working tool. VINCI Energies is
made up of reasonably-sized companies operating within segmented markets. Therefore, the tool must meet the
needs of a large group, while offering small structures the possibility to operate effectively to preserve their activity
and have all the information they need to work. I believe in the VINCI Energies model of independent and effec-
tive companies who develop their expertise within their own local markets.
The tool for which we are beginning to write the specifications must enable us to maintain this operation to serve both
operational staff and companies.
What are the main directions for designing the tool?
I know how Oracle works in the companies within my scope and within the SAP scope at CEGELEC. In the
"reorganisation" area, for example, we need to be able to ensure external growth for small structures as this is part of
the group's DNA. Independently of major external growth, we acquire small local businesses with 3 to 4 million in
turnover with staff of 30 to 40 people: tomorrow we must be able to continue buying these types of companies and
integrate the tool simply and economically.
We must also keep companies' operational independence by decentralising simple tasks without involving the
information systems department: integrate new project managers, pilot account closings, change our budget parame-
ters during the year and so on. Within our organisation we need to be able to react very quickly; the PSP*, which are
normally valid for the year, must be readapted within certain companies as sudden variations are possible throughout
the year. This must be piloted in the companies and the information systems department must also stop making ac-
counting entries.
What are the objectives for the design workshops which will be held from January to March 2014?
The first phase enabled us to define the main principles: we will now go into detail to draft the specifications and write
down exactly what we want for each point. Therefore, we need to explain clearly just what has been agreed within
each workshop. A great many people have been involved in the project, which is a very positive point. The only
regret that I might have is that the timetable is very tight: it is very complicated for operational staff to keep up as dail y
business goes on as normal.

he decision was taken early on to adopt the name "Codex" to define the project which,
as Leonardo da Vinci was able to do, involves collecting as much information as pos-
sible on the Group's different business packages* to summarise the main principles and
take the best ones.
We decided to define a logo to give the project more visibility and identify the associated
documentation clearly. Quickly, several models were produced, some of which for needs
of accuracy were sized with the golden number...
For reasons of simplification, which remains the project's watch-word, but also to illustrate our desire to leave the possibility of
thinking outside the box, the two-colour template below was born!

*Account closing: Creation of the result and production of the
quarterly reports
*Consolidated accounts: Consolidation of the results of the
Group's subsidiaries within a common international standard
(IFRS)
*Statutory accounts: production of the balance sheet and the
income statement according to local legal and fiscal regulations.
*Design: IT project phase whose objective is to draft the full
specifications for the application
*External growth: acquisition of companies by the Group

*Ergonomy: discipline which seeks to adapt a system to its
user, to enable this user to carry out their activities with as much
effectiveness, satisfaction and comfort as possible

*ERP ("Enterprise Resource Planning"): an integrated business
management application. Oracle and SAP are examples of ERP
*Business-experts: contacts present within Divisions and
Poles who work in partnership with VESI to feed back and pro-
cess user application support and development requests
*Fast-Close: All processes used to produce accounts on an
expedited basis
*IFRS: International Financial Reporting Standards: interna-
tional accounting standards used in the VINCI Group to publish
accounts
*Mobility: technical solutions that seek to enable the partial or
total use of certain applications on mobile media such as
Smartphones
*New G/L: advanced accounting functionality that in particular
enables the real time production of financial results by company
*Navision: business application used mainly in small and medi-
um CEGELEC structures internationally
*Primary standard: harmonised accounting method common to
all entities within the Codex scope
*ORACLE / Quartz-i / HR ACCESS: general accounting / ana-
lytical and payroll business applications traditionally used by
VINCI Energies
*Progiciels (Business application): contraction of the French
words "logiciel" (software) and "produit" (product)
*PSP: Shared Strategic Project
*Reorganisation: all operations that may affect our companies:
buyout, merger, partial activity input, etc.
*SAP / Quartz-iC: general accounting and analytical applica-
tions traditionally used by CEGELEC
*VESI: VINCI Energies Information Systems


Newsletter Codex No. 1 - January 2014
Editorial committee: E. Vernier, F. Binet, S. Tickner, K. Merceron - Design and development: S. Beaudouin